About the author

An unabashed geek, Peter is always searching for intelligence, whether it be artificial, extraterrestrial, or his own. He earned his storytelling chops at USC Film School, learned from the best at Pixar Animation Studios, and edited numerous indie films.

Interview

1. Where did the idea for Zero Echo Shadow Prime come from?ZERO ECHO SHADOW PRIME (or simply ZESP) is the story of one woman who splits into four distinct clones: a human (ZERO), a robot (PRIME), a virtual assistant (SHADOW), and a mysterious four-armed killer who’s trapped in a virtual simulation (ECHO). Each of these clones popped into my head (and thus, into existence) at different points in my life during the last decade or so.The characters ZERO and PRIME are largely inspired by transhumanism, an ideology which predicts that humans will eventually evolve into higher states of being through the aid of technology. Ray Kurzweil, a futurist and director of engineering at Google, believes that humans and machines will one day merge together. Aubrey de Grey, a biomedical gerontologist, believes our lifespans will dramatically increase through cell rejuvenation.I read a lot of books on the subject, which churned my imagination with such questions as: What would happen if we could upload our minds into robot bodies? How would it feel to have a digital brain? How would it feel, alternatively, to be the original human, knowing you now have a superior robotic twin? The story of ZERO and PRIME is essentially my answer to these questions.The story of ECHO came as a dream. I found myself in a virtual urban landscape alongside a multitude of clones, and we were forced to kill each other. Come to think of it, the dream was more like a nightmare, but I was still happy for the free story material.The story of SHADOW grew out of a childhood desire to have an imaginary best friend (I was always jealous of kids who had them). In ZESP, “Shadows” are virtual assistants, like Apple’s Siri but much smarter, and they possess full holographic avatars. They’re sold as assistants, but because they’re always with their human, they become more like best friends.2. Are you working on anything at the moment?I plan to return to the world of ZESP eventually, but right now I’m taking a break from it. I’m in the middle of writing a novel about a space colony ship that’s marooned on a strange planet with an even stranger (and dangerous) alien species. And I have a third novel about parallel dimensions waiting in the wings.

3. Who inspires you?I’m inspired by anyone who can present big ideas in an accessible way. My biggest hero is Rod Serling, the creator of The Twilight Zone. He mastered the “twist ending” way before M.Night Shyamalan gave it a bad name. I’m also a fan of Stanley Kubrick, Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, and J.J. Abrams for proving that thought-provoking science ﬁction can command a wide audience.As an independent writer, I’m inspired by my friends and literary peers—Amira Makansi, Tammy Salyer, & G.S. Jennsen, among others—who’ve shown that all you need is a good story and a little tenacity to be successful as a writer.4. Have you always wanted to be an author?4. I’ve always wanted to be a storyteller, but my ﬁrst love was ﬁlm. That’s what I went to school for, and I’ve been editing indie ﬁlms and reality television for the past 12 years. During that time, I’ve been brainstorming and storing away tons of story ideas, and I craved an outlet for expressing them. I suppose I could have written screenplays, but a screenplay is merely a blueprint for another product (a ﬁnished ﬁlm). I wanted to create ﬁnished products, and I wanted to exert total control over them. So I turned to novel writing.On a side note, I imagine a lot of ﬁlm people must feel the same way I do, because so many great writers are coming out of this industry: Suzanne Collins, George R.R. Martin, Pierce Brown, and Ransom Riggs, the latter of whom actually went to USC ﬁlm school with me.5. What are some of your favourite books?5. The ﬁrst book that springs to mind is Sophie’s World. It’s essentially an overview of the history of Western philosophy, wrapped in a unique story about an ordinary girl. Think Coraline meets Plato. I read it when I was 14 or 15, so I don’t know if it holds up to adult tastes, but the book really changed my outlook on the world.Other than that, I’m a fan of the usual sciﬁ classics: Dune, Ender’s Game, Hyperion, Childhood’s End, etc. Recently, I’ve enjoyed Ready Player One, Wool, The Martian, and Red Rising.6. If your book got made into a movie, what celebs would you love to play your characters??6. My main character, Charlie Nobunaga, is Japanese-American. I’m really not sure who could play her, because there simply aren’t that many Asian American stars out there (which is a total indictment of Hollywood). So she’d have to be played by a relatively unknown actress.I’ve always imagined Alan, Charlie’s best friend, as Danielle Radcliffe. However, Alan is modeled after the historical ﬁgure Alan Turning, who was recently portrayed brilliantly by Benedict Cumberbatch. So I don’t know anymore. It’s a toss up between Radcliffe and Cumberbatch.I originally saw the villain, Jude Adler, as Tilda Swinton. But after seeing Nicole Kidman in the indie movie “Stoker,” with her chillingly stares, I think she’d be a good ﬁt for Jude Adler as well.

About the book

CONSCIOUSNESS IS IN THE CODE

The year is 2045. 18-year-old Charlie Nobunaga creates the world’s first sentient AI and becomes an overnight sensation. But amid the red carpet galas and TV interviews, Charlie is diagnosed with cancer, and her promising future grinds to a halt.

To save her life, an ambitious tech company uploads Charlie’s mind into the body of a cutting-edge robot. The procedure is a success, but with a horrifying catch. They create additional clones for their own ends.

Charlie wakes up four times as four distinct entities: a robot named PRIME, a holographic assistant named SHADOW, a mysterious four-armed killer named ECHO, and the original dying human renamed ZERO. Separated and imprisoned, each version of Charlie begins an arduous journey alone. But their paths soon intersect in surprising ways as they retaliate against the people determined to destroy them.

ZERO ECHO SHADOW PRIME is the story of one young woman who splits into four…and fights to become whole again.